Producers, consumers, and decomposers

General

Students learn about producers, consumers, and decomposers and how each is a part of a delicate food chain. They will be able to identify different organisms from each group.

Standards

NGSS:
5-PS3-1
5-LS2-1

Learning Objective

Students will be able to explain how energy flow connects the organisms in an ecosystem.

Introduction

Show students the picture of the grass, the rabbit, and the worm. Ask how they can all be connected, then introduce the concept of a food chain and the importance of each organism within it. Have students watch the video and go through the discussion questions as a class.

Instruction

Explain what producers, consumers, and decomposers are and show examples of each. After this have students draw a line to match the description to the correct word. Next, have students look at the pictures and read the descriptions and determine if the organism is a producer, consumer, or decomposer. Students then drag the images to the correct place on the food chain. Discuss their reasoning. Finally, students spin the wheel and describe an organism that is a producer, consumer, or decomposer depending on where they land.

Quiz

Students respond to ten multiple-choice and true/false questions. They will also drag pictures of organisms into the correct column.

Closing

Students will think of three organisms in one food chain and add them to a graphic organizer, drawing a picture and describing what the organism eats. They should try to include the words, “producer,” “consumer,” and “decomposer” to their writing.

About Gynzy

Gynzy is an online teaching platform for interactive whiteboards and displays in schools.

With a focus on elementary education, Gynzy’s Whiteboard, digital tools, and activities make it easy for teachers to save time building lessons, increase student engagement, and make classroom management more efficient.